POPSUGAR Celebrity

Alexa Chung: "A Pedicure Is Torture For Me"

Jun 20 2014 - 11:00am

In the beauty world, the latest nail polish collections are just as coveted as the hottest new runway fashions, and the new collaboration between Alexa Chung and Nails Inc. is no different. Allure [1] sat down with Alexa to get an inside look at the polishes she created and get answers to our burning beauty questions like: manicure or pedicure?

Recently Nails Inc. announced its collaboration with professional cool girl Alexa Chung. She wore their black leather-effects polish to the 2012 British Fashion Awards, and the shade sold out immediately. There was soon a waitlist of over 3,000 people wanting to get their hands on the polish (and the polish on their hands). The brand reached out to Chung shortly thereafter.

"When Thea [Green, the founder of Nails Inc.] asked me to collaborate, I was so excited," said Chung at a lunch celebrating the launch. "I've always found Nails Inc. to be very fashion-forward and all about the whole head-to-toe look, which is something I'm very into." In addition to being the face of all Nails Inc. ad campaigns this fall, Chung has also created six fabric-inspired shades, including Silk, Cashmere, Lace, Leather, Camo, and Sequins. "They're like a party for your hands," she said. I got the chance to sit down one-on-one with Chung to discuss all things nail-related — fingernail that is.

More from Allure:

How to Contour With a Makeup Crayon [2]The Right Way to Wear Glitter (and Look Good) [3]Four Ways Sweat Can Completely Ruin Your Skin [4]

Source: Facebook user Nails Inc. London [5]

Alexa Chung For Nails Inc.

Were you a nail-polish freak growing up? "Oh yeah. I remember in my local town, I used to go and get polishes, and there was some company that had a sparkly blue that I loved. We weren't allowed nail polish at school, so I'd wear it on the weekends and have to take it off by Monday. And I used to paint my mum's nails, actually. It was this color you know, that same color that all mums wear, it's like this weird coral."

Do you have any pet peeves when it comes to your nails? "When I'm getting a manicure, I don't like when they cut your cuticles; it makes me a bit sick! I also like for my nails to look like men's nails, so very short. Friends of mine in England who are into nail art all have long nails so they have more space for the art, but I feel like I've already got quite large hands, so it might be unbecoming for me to extend the nail. I just like to keep them short and sweet."

Speaking of nail art, are you into it? "I really got into nail art when it first started, because I felt like it was really fun and it was a good way to play around with things, but now I've almost gotten to the point where I feel that maybe it's gone a bit far. I'm really more in a plain zone now."

What's on your nails this summer? "It's this 'dead-man hand color' that I'm wearing right now. It's called Cashmere from the collection. It's my favorite. It's this lilac gray, it's muted, and it goes with a lot of things, but it's also quite odd. That's what I like about Nails Inc. in general — they create really interesting palettes that are slightly off the beaten track."

What about for Fall? "For Fall I like to be more vampy on the nail front — like the Nails Inc. Leather Effects polishes in black. Again, these days I try to keep things more classy with my nails."

Source: Facebook user Nails Inc. London [6]

Alexa Chung For Nails Inc.

OK, which do you prefer, manicure or pedicure? "OMG manicure! I hate people touching my feet. It makes me want to die. Honestly. The amount of people I've nearly kicked in the face inadvertently just because I have a really bad reflex to someone holding my feet . . . A pedicure is actually torture for me."

I know, the file is what does it for me. "That's horrible, it's basically like a cheese grater."

At-home manicure or salon? "In England, you often have to do an at-home manicure because it's hard to find a nail salon that's affordable and easy to get to, but I'm very lucky because I'm in a world where I can often get my nails done on set."

Metallic polish or glitter? "I really like glitter a lot, but I don't like when it's a plain polish and a few specks on top; I like my glitter to be dense. Otherwise, it's noncommittal. With glitter, you've got to do the whole hog."

Everyone asks you about your eyeliner, but I want to know, how long did it take you to master the winged look? "A matter of years, I'm afraid. And while it's still not perfect, I definitely got quicker at it. I do remember a few years ago, how I did my liner used to set the mood for the day. You wake up, it's too early, you're trying to put your face back together so it doesn't look like you've been found in a cave in the '40s, and one eyeliner mess-up and your day is ruined. But then, after a while, I realized that the more relaxed you get about it, the easier it becomes — it's like anything really."